







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | |
| Until you just light your cigarette. | |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | |
| Why? What's wrong? | |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | |
| Oh look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | |
| It's about a web project. | |
| He is fine. | |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | |